


Intro to Modern Mysticism

by Little_Annie_Adderall



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Celtic Mythology & Folklore, F/M, Falling In Love, Fortune Telling, Halloween, Haunted Houses, Magic, Secrets, Spells & Enchantments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27070402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Annie_Adderall/pseuds/Little_Annie_Adderall
Summary: "There are many lost souls seeking answers tonight, when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. You seem as lost as any of them. Go to the Forest. Maybe you'll find answers, too."The study group braves a haunted house. But will they be the same people by the end of the night?With the unsolicited help of some magic beans (that Pierce may or may not have found by the porta-potties) – and under the watchful eye of a mysterious fortune teller – the group learns a little something about the deepest desires of their hearts.Happy Halloween 😊
Relationships: Annie Edison/Jeff Winger, Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 21
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

It was October 31. The air was crisp, the leaves were crunchy, and for once, the study group wasn't stuck at a Greendale Halloween celebration.

Annie, Britta, and Shirley wandered aimlessly through the annual state fall festival – joking about phallic-shaped gourds, buying useless trinkets, and munching on caramel apples.

When they neared a booth lined with veils and Hamsa artwork, Annie squealed and wiggled a little happy dance. "A fortune teller! I _always_ used to do these. Do you want to?"

"Such a waste of money," Britta chastised. "They just tell you fluff that will make you happy. You want to know what fortune she'll give you? ' _Ooo what magic I see in your future! Successful career, love, marriage, babies, that'll be $20 please_.'"

Annie thought that all sounded pretty good, to be honest. But she wasn't going to admit it in present company. "You're so cynical, Britta."

"You say cynical, I say street smart."

"Britta's right." Shirley hustled the girls along. "Nothing good can come from messing with magic."

Annie looked mournfully at the booth as they passed by. And as if summoned, a woman emerged from the veiled doorway. She wore a long peasant-style dress with shawls draped around her shoulders. Thick and wavy raven-black hair cascaded toward her waist, adorned with ribbons and flowers. Her dark eyes gleamed.

As their eyes locked, a smile crept over the woman's face. She nodded kindly. Annie shivered.

"Now _this_ is something I'd do," Britta exclaimed as they approached another booth. The sign read: "Lost Forest of the Valkyries – A Haunted Journey Through the Realms."

A young man working the booth beamed at Britta's excitement. "Come on by tonight! It's our annual Halloween haunted forest! Your goal is to get through the Lost Forest to the Glistening Pool of Eros, which reveals your soul's deepest desire. The catch: On the way through the forest, you must withstand the call of the Valkyries."

Britta grabbed a pamphlet. "Sounds like a complete perversion of Norse mythology, Greek mythology, and Harry Potter. But I'm IN."

While Shirley argued with Britta about how long she could leave the babysitter alone tonight, Annie slinked off to the jewelry booth next door and fiddled with rings.

A particularly distinguished one caught her eye. Two gold hands held a heart and a crown crested with diamonds. When the attendant wasn't looking, she slipped it on... wiggling her fingers and admiring its sparkle in the sunlight.

"It could go either way."

Annie ripped the ring off her finger as the fortune teller sidled up. "Excuse me?"

"That's a Claddagh ring," the woman said. "The heart symbolizes love; the pair of hands friendship; the crown loyalty and fidelity. It can either face into you or outward, on your right hand or your left. Each position reflects whether you've found a new love, are betrothed, married, or are still searching for your beloved. Which way should it be on you?"

Annie blushed and placed the ring back in its display box. "It would still say 'searching' for me, I'm afraid."

The fortune teller noted her flushed cheeks. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. I sense all four Claddagh symbols very near to you."

Annie turned an even deeper shade of red. "You're the palm reader, right?"

"I'm many things. That's one of them. I'm more of a seer."

"What do you see for me?"

The woman laughed light-heartedly and gave a meaningful glance over at Britta. "That'll be $20, please."

She turned away, but Annie could distinctly hear her sing-song voice as she disappeared into the crowd... "There are many lost souls seeking answers tonight, when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. You seem as lost as any of them. Go to the Forest. Maybe you'll find answers, too."

* * *

"Man the _cannons_!" Abed stood at attention, arm up in a salute, and voice echoing commandingly.

Jeff plopped a heavy pumpkin into the launch pad.

"Arrrrmed, SIR!" Troy called back.

Their all-time coolest discovery at the fall festival so far was the pumpkin chuckin' patch – enormous wooden catapults facing targets made of old car parts and shaped like transformers.

"Ready..." Abed directed.

Jeff heaved back on the launching mechanism.

"Aim..."

Troy squinted through one eye and oriented the catapult arm toward the farthest target.

"FIRE!"

"Hey! Check out these magic beans I..."

Startled, Troy bumped the catapult just as Jeff sent the pumpkin flying... and their "bomb" splattered to the ground an embarrassingly far distance from any designated target.

"PIERCE!" Troy and Jeff rounded on him. "That was our last one!"

"I've got something _better_ ," Pierce said.

"That seems unlikely." Abed stared forlornly at the mushed pumpkin.

Pierce held up a leather pouch with purple beans inside it.

"Ooo jelly beans!" Troy reached for some.

Jeff restrained him by the collar.

"I purchased these bad boys straight from a potions master... madam..." Pierce explained. "She said they open your eyes to the realms beyond and unveil the hidden wishes of your heart."

Abed perked up. "Like a vision quest? Or truth serum?"

"Like a hallucinogen," Jeff retorted. "Ten bucks says you got those from a vagrant by the porta-potties. Pass."

* * *

As evening fell, the fall festival field glimmered with fire pits and floating fairy lights. Eager voices drifted through the air as the crowd waited for the Lost Forest attraction to begin.

The study group lounged on log benches around a fire pit not far from the forest's edge.

"Apple cider? Apple cider? Apple cider?" Pierce walked up, juggling seven steaming mugs on a tray.

"Yesss," Troy leaned forward eagerly, passing mugs down to Britta and Abed.

"Mmm this is amazing!" Shirley trilled, gulping down her cider. "What's in it?"

Pierce shrugged and avoided eye contact, taking a seat on the bench beside her. "Apples?"

Jeff took a mug too and then resumed his casual sprawl, left ankle hooked over his right knee and right arm stretched out on the backrest behind Annie. "So Britta," he said. "What are we doing in this haunted forest?"

The sound system burst to life with a high-pitch shriek. The crowd turned toward a makeshift stage set up not far from where the study group was sitting. Standing at the microphone was the fortune teller. Her voice echoed across the field...

"Samhain blessings to you, kindred spirits. Samhain – or Halloween – is one of the most ancient Celtic traditions still widely celebrated today. It's the time when spirits walk among us, when we commune with our ancestors, when our very souls are vulnerable to capture by the darkest of monsters. Tonight, we adventure into that kingdom of myth and magic..."

Shirley pursed her lips.

Troy and Abed – wide eyes trained on the fortune teller – reached around either side of Britta and clapped their secret handshake.

The fortune teller continued in hushed tones. "A disturbing woodland, day and night. A glistening pool of deep desire. The way that leads you to the light, may be the one that ends in fire. Heed the calls that block your path but – hark! – beware the aftermath. For if you fall into the realm of aching heart and broken spell, then struggle more to come back home forever changed, never alone."

"Well that clears it right up." Jeff took a long sip of cider.

Britta studied the event pamphlet under the light of the firepit. "I guess it's one of those things where people chase you through the woods or something."

"I've done one of those," Annie said.

"Really?" Jeff asked, surprised. "You wouldn't even watch _Beetlejuice_ with the lights on."

"When you enter the woods," the fortune teller continued, "look for the lanterns. They will guide you toward your goal – the Glistening Pool of Eros. Know that it will be a harrowing journey... Tonight, these woods are teaming with Valkyries to decide your fate and denizens from beyond the veil who won't hesitate to drag you into the underworld!"

She grinned, and a laugh went up from the crowd.

"But should you make it to the Pool, gaze into its depths... and you may discover the deepest desire of your souls."

The fortune teller caught Annie's eye. The air was still, the fire was warm, and the woman's expression was disarming. But Annie's bones felt cold.

Shiver.

Jeff gripped her shoulder. "You OK?"

She smiled and nodded.

The fortune teller turned back to the crowd and – dropping the spellbinding tone – shrugged flippantly. "If not, ring the bell, we'll get you, and you can try again next year."

The field erupted in amused murmurs again.

"I'll detain you no longer, m'dears." She held a shawl up in the air like a starting flag. "The Lost Forest is yours! Good night and good luck!"

The crowd rose eagerly from their seats, chattering and hurrying toward the tree line.

"Myth and magic my ass," Shirley muttered, as their group all rose as well.

"I think even Jesus would agree that, mystical rhetoric aside, this is nothing more than an elaborate haunted house," Jeff said.

"Shirley, have you ever read _Jesus the Magician_?" Britta asked. "It's all about how the early Christian mission was advanced by magic..."

Jeff winced. "Britta, dial it back."

"I assume you mean 'by miracles,'" Shirley growled.

"So when Jesus saves someone's life with what can _only_ be either magic or a bald-faced lie, it's a 'miracle.' But when a woman does it, it's sacrilege and she's burned at the stake?"

"Uggghhh."

"Everyone wants you to shut up."

"Whoever told you to be yourself was lying."

Britta plopped back down on her seat, arms crossed. "I don't need some Glistening Pool of Eros," she scowled. "I already know my deepest desire is to be taken seriously for a change."

"Well since that won't happen," Pierce held his mug aloft. "Let's finish our cider! A toast... to good friends, to memorable nights, and to discovering the deepest desires of our souls."

"That's actually really nice, Pierce," Troy applauded. "Cheers."

Together, the seven of them clinked mugs and downed the rest of their drinks.

* * *

Annie hung back as her friends took off toward the haunted forest. She pulled a gold band from her pocket and slipped it on the ring finger of her left hand... admiring its sparkle in the light of the bonfire.

"What's that?"

Annie startled at Jeff's voice, spinning around and hiding her hand. "Nothing!"

"Is that a Claddagh ring? My mom has one of those. Family tradition."

Annie huffed an embarrassed laugh and held her hand out. "Yeah," she rolled her eyes sheepishly. "I bought it today. It's stupid."

Jeff lightly took her hand and studied the ring. "Why? It looks great. There are different ways to wear it..."

"…to show if you're in love. Or… something like that."

"Right." Jeff grinned.

"That's not why I bought it. Obviously." Annie pulled her hand away and started walking toward the forest.

Jeff fell into step beside her. "Obviously. Why did you buy it?"

Annie steeled herself for the torrent of judgement that was about to come. "You know the woman who made the announcements tonight?"

Jeff looked over her head at the stage. The woman was straightening her shawls and studying Jeff and Annie intently. "You mean the one staring right at us?"

Annie swiveled around, surprised. They locked eyes – again – and the woman tapped her nose with a knowing nod.

Shiver.

Annie sighed. "Yeah."

"You know her, or should we call the cops?"

"She's a fortune teller. I met her at the festival. She said... some things."

"What things?"

Annie was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't even a hint of scorn in his voice. She absentmindedly twisted the ring on her finger as she spoke. "She said I'm lost."

"Ha!" Jeff barked. "That's stupid. You're the only one in the group who actually knows what they want out of life."

Annie tilted her head up to him. She was starting to feel quite warm, despite the October chill. "Maybe I'm not on the right path to get what I want."

"Psh."

"She said she's a seer."

"Yeah, and I'm Mother Theresa." Jeff stopped at the edge of the forest and turned fully to face Annie. "That lady doesn't know you like I do. Or at all. You're not lost. You know what you want, and you're going to get it."

His blue eyes seemed to twinkle. Her knees weakened. "Am I?"

Jeff cocked his head and crinkled his brow in both amusement and confusion. His lips twitched up at the corners. "Annie, you're... glowing." Feeling totally uninhibited all of a sudden, he reached out to see if he could physically feel the beams of light radiating from her.

She laughed as he awkwardly poked her cheek. "I'm what?"

Troy appeared out of the brush with a giddy smile and waved at them. "Guys! Come on! It's _so_ beautiful in here!"

They ducked into the forest.

It was an enchanted wood. The Earth hummed, and the leaves gleamed in luminous reds and yellows and ambers. The lanterns guiding a path through the trees radiated whimsical auras of light.

"Whaaaat," Jeff breathed.

Pierce was waltzing with a carefree Shirley, spinning her in circles. Troy and Abed were draped across each other's shoulders, listening intently to Britta teach them all about special woodland mushrooms.

Feeling wildly out of her head, Annie clasped Jeff's hand in hers and led him down the path. She couldn't recall if they'd ever actually held hands before. But it didn't feel strange at all. She didn't give it a second thought... or much of a first thought, really.

Jeff closed his eyes and shook his head, a little dizzy and a lot overwhelmed. "Pierce," he called as they passed. "You spiked those ciders, didn't you..."

Pierce dropped Shirley into a spritely dip. "Only with the spice of life. Well, and those magic beans!"

Jeff wanted to be outraged. But his head was fuzzy... Scratch that, his head was clearer than ever, but for some reason, he still couldn't think straight. Everything in his line of vision was a haze. Everything except for Annie's hand pulling him deeper into the forest – that Claddagh ring glowing like fire.

Pierce danced past them. "Open your eyes to the realms beyond and unveil the hidden wishes of your heart, Jeffrey!"

Annie stopped walking and pressed flush up against Jeff's side, squeezing his arm tight. She was so warm and soft. He shook his head again and smacked himself in the face.

" _Look_ ," Annie hummed. Jeff forced himself to focus.

Far down the path, beneath a lantern, stood a woman. She had long, flowing hair, a tunic of armor, and a scythe shaped like a crescent moon.

Still wrapped around each other's shoulders, Troy and Abed appeared beside Jeff and Annie. "A Valkyrie," Abed whispered in wonderment.

She was singing...

_Enter thee through purple heather_

_Between the crags and darkest night_

_Turning toward the realm of splendor_

_Casting yonder faerie light_

The Greendale Seven fell in line and stepped awestruck down the forest path toward the singing warrior...

_Come to me, thy sweet surrender_

_Shelter eternal embrace_

_Beyond the land you've known forever_

_Become the one your soul would chase_

Abed halted abruptly and looked confused. When he spoke again, he sounded more coherent than before. "It's the riddle... ' _The way that leads you to the light, may be the one that ends in fire. Heed the calls that block your path but – hark! – beware the aftermath_.'

"Stop!" He commanded, louder. "Everyone stop walking. Don't listen to her!"

In response to the slight, the Valkyrie let out an Earth-shattering scream. All manner of nightmarish beings sprang from the foliage with a roar.

"Arrghhh!"

And the scene devolved into chaos.

Yelping, throwing punches, and literally crawling out of the melee, the study group scattered... darting off separately into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Part II... in which Troy and Abed reach the Glistening Pool of Eros, Pierce sort of assaults a Valkyrie, Britta has an epiphany, Shirley performs a miracle, and Jeff puts a ring on Annie's finger. (But, you know, no spoilers.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Troy and Abed reach the Glistening Pool of Eros. Pierce sort of assaults a Valkyrie. Britta has an epiphany. Shirley performs a miracle. And Jeff puts a ring on Annie's finger.

" _What kind of haunted house is this??_ " Troy cried when they stopped running. He was so woozy that he leaned over, dropping his head between his knees.

Abed opened his cell phone video camera. "The attention to detail is outstanding. And Pierce's spiked cider really adds that extra POP."

"Where is everybody?" Troy asked.

Abed aimed the camera at his own face, darting his eyes from side to side and breathing heavily between words for dramatic effect. "Gone... to the beyond? I don't know... I can't think! I'm scared to close my eyes... I'm scared to open them! We're gonna die out here!"

Troy picked his head up. "What are you doing?"

" _The Blair Witch Project_."

"Please stop. You're freaking me out more."

* * *

Pierce walked entranced through the fray.

Around him, shadowy figures were shouting menacingly. Shirley was brandishing her shining cross necklace like a shield. Abed was waving his arms in slow motion, shouting warnings to "fall back! fall back!"

Jeff was pulling Annie kicking and flailing off the back of one of the haunted house actors. Troy was weeping and running around in circles, unaware that he had knocked Britta to the ground. Britta was crawling away through the underbrush.

But Pierce was in awe, bewitched by the call of the Valkyrie. He glided untouched down to the path to where the enchanting woman stood – tall, strong, and majestic.

Her skin glowed luminescent. Her voice a siren's call. And he fell toward her, arms outstretched, like a newborn child to the bosom.

"Ack! Get the hell off me!" she shrieked, in more of a Boston accent than the ethereal tone Pierce expected from Odin's handmaiden. "Are you high? Security!"

* * *

"You actually _punched_ that guy!" Jeff stumbled delighted through the underbrush, away from the commotion.

"When I get startled, my krav maga training takes over!" Annie panted from somewhere behind him.

Jeff collapsed against a tree, still laughing by the time she caught up. "I've never liked you more."

His voice seemed to reverberate around the glowing woods. Annie could almost see the actual sound waves bouncing around. "What did Pierce _give_ us?" She stretched to grasp a branch overhead and run her fingers through the rustling leaves.

"Probably a question best left unanswered. But whatever it is has me uncharacteristically curious about my soul's deepest desire. Annie..."

"Yes?" She asked airily, preoccupied by the life force that sprung from every leaf and twig.

"Let's do it."

"What."

He wrapped his fingers around her outstretched wrist and pulled her closer. The branch trembled as she released her grip on it, and a shower of glowing leaves floated down, adorning her hair with luminous reds and yellows and ambers.

"Let's just do it already."

Annie's finger burned, the Claddagh ring glowing there like fire. She flicked her eyes up to Jeff's face. "What..."

He gestured to a lantern shining brightly through the trees. "Let's do it. Let's find the Glistening Pool of Edamame or whatever."

"Oh," Annie breathed. The ring stopped glowing, and she stepped away from him. "Yes. Let's."

* * *

"The Glistening Pool of Eros..." Abed stepped into a small clearing and up to what looked like an oversized bird bath.

"Are we done?" Troy leapt around the clearing, searching. "The lady said to ring the bell, and they'll get us out of here. Where's the bell? WHERE'S THE BELL?"

"Wait," Abed held out an imploring hand. "Don't you want to know the deepest desire of your soul?"

"You know I'm always down for whatever you want to do, buddy. But this is _crazy_..."

Abed arched an eyebrow. "What daring adventure _isn't_ crazy?"

Troy sighed heavily. "Alright." He walked to the other side of the pool, facing opposite Abed. "Together?"

"Together."

They gave each other a nod and both bent over the pool. The water looked... like, uh, water. Troy glanced up at Abed and then back at the pool. "You see anything?"

"No..."

"Wait! What year is it?" Troy snatched his phone out of his pocket and clicked to the home screen. "Damn," he sighed. "I thought maybe my deepest desire was time travel."

Abed looked dejected. They both peered into the pool again.

"All I see is you," Abed said.

"Yeah," Troy replied. "All I see is you."

They stared silently at the water for another moment. "Like, I don't even see my own reflection," Troy continued suspiciously. "I literally just see you."

"Same." They glanced back up at each other again. Abed shaped his hands into a heart. "You complete me."

Troy didn't hesitate for even a second. With a wide grin, he stepped around the side of the fountain and wrapped Abed in a big hug.

* * *

Her clothes were ripped, her cheek was bleeding, and her hair was matted with twigs. She was lost. She was alone. But damn if the heavenly beauty of this enchanted wood didn't make Britta believe in a slightly more magical world.

Thank you, Pierce's cider. (Mental note to ask where he got it.)

With a wild-eyed screech, a dark fairy lurched into Britta's path.

"Ha!" she laughed. "You call _that_ scary? _I lived in New York_. This is like a Tuesday afternoon for me."

Another one leapt out from the other side.

"Oh, you come in pairs."

Then another from behind her.

"Ba!" Britta did startle a bit this time.

Then – just inches away – a flashlight flicked on in, illuminating the fourth fairy's garish face. "Boo."

"JESUS Christ!" Britta tripped and fell to the ground. She held one hand in front of her eyes and the other up toward the heavens as the eclectic group of terrors advanced upon her.

And then, a blinding flash.

Britta opened one eye a crack and gasped. Above her, hovered an angel – wings wide and arms outstretched. But this was an angry angel. Tall, foreboding, fist clenched, staring down the attackers.

"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, YOU fear MY FISTS!"

The cross pendant around the angel's neck blasted a celestial light, and the terrors were blown backward into the darkness.

"That's right, infidels! Feel the _WRATH_ of the _LORD!_ "

 _"Abraca-screw you!" one of them shouted back_.

"Shirley," Britta gaped. "You _saved_ me!"

Shirley had never looked more pleased. " _I did_." She giggled and gazed sweetly down at her disciple.

Britta was awestruck. "It's a miracle..."

"Oh Brit-ta," Shirley squatted down to Britta's level. At this angle, she looked a bit more like herself and less like a beacon of divine intervention. "If someone like you can say that, then I believe you _were_ right. There must be a little magic to every miracle."

They both smiled broadly and wrapped each other in a big hug.

* * *

What felt like the 31st headless horseman of the night (all, admittedly, sans horse) leapt out from his dark hiding place and Jeff inhaled sharply, seizing Annie's coat in a death grip.

"Will you stop already?" she complained.

He released her and wiped sweaty palms on his pants. "Don't want you punching anyone again…"

His heart was racing. Why did people like this kind of thing? Being completely out of control as strangers attack you without fear of retribution? No thanks.

Annie squealed loudly.

"What??" Jeff whirled in a circle.

"The pool!" She rushed forward through the trees toward a shining ray beyond.

He loved seeing her so giddy. Annie could go from adorable to annoying at the drop of a hat. But he never ceased to marvel at her passion for the simplest things or her eagerness to dive into adventure.

Jeff felt relaxed and warm as he watched Annie fade away. And, for once, he didn't even try to fight it. Thank you, Pierce's cider.

Instead, he let himself wonder what would happen if…

"It could go either way."

"What the-!" Jeff yelped.

The fortune teller leaned casually against a tree trunk, twirling the tassels of a shawl lazily around her fingers.

"Who the hell _are_ you?" he asked, catching his breath. "Are you following us?"

"Yes," she answered simply.

"Because…"

She sized Jeff up from beneath heavy eye lids. "I always study those who partake in the sacred herbs."

"The sacred...?" He spotted the leather pouch dangling from her hip. "Oh. _You_ sold those beans to Pierce. Why? Why us?"

"Happenstance." The woman walked seductively toward him and trailed a long finger down his chest. "Lucky me."

When the wandering finger reached Jeff's waist, he snatched her wrist and shoved her away. As he did, the ring finger on his right hand burned. She glanced down at it.

Shiver.

The fortune teller smirked. "What's your deepest desire, Jeff?"

Jeff narrowed his eyes at her. "How do you know my name?"

"I'm a seer."

"Then you must already know my deepest desire."

"Yes." The fortune teller traced light circles on his temple. "So do you. Open your eyes to the realms beyond, Jeff," she whispered, backing away into the darkness. "Unveil the hidden wishes of your heart."

And she was gone.

" _Crazy_ lady," Jeff shook his head and headed toward where Annie had disappeared into the clearing. As he approached, the lantern light intensified and time... slowed. He brushed aside a low-hanging branch, and as he stepped through, his jaw dropped.

Now _this_ was an enchanted wood. The clearing was abuzz with life and light. The Earth hummed, and the leaves gleamed in luminous reds and yellows and ambers.

Britta, Abed, Troy, Pierce, Shirley, and Annie were all there dancing to a Blackmore's Night song that emanated from nowhere and everywhere. Peace radiated as they twirled in circles and swayed their arms through the air.

"Whaaaat," Jeff breathed.

Annie spun in slow motion, her hair flying like a shampoo commercial. When she saw him, her expression melted into one of pure joy. He was unequivocally, unabashedly bewitched.

She bounded over and threw her arms around his neck, wrapping him in a big hug. Laughing, he spun her in a circle, sure that they could float away right then and there. This was a kind of out-of-control he was fine with.

Annie clasped both of his hands in hers and pulled him into the dance circle – undulating to the rhythm surrounding them as if in a dream – all smiles, stares, and surrender.

They danced closer and he closed his eyes and they danced closer and he chose not to think and they danced closer and he kissed her.

He kissed her again.

And again.

And again.

"Jeff..."

Annie whispered his name and pushed him back against a tree trunk.

"Jeff..."

He didn't want to let go.

"Jeff!"

* * *

Jeff opened his eyes. The music had stopped. The air was cold. The clearing was gone. He was sitting in the middle of the forest, his back pressed up against a tree trunk. Annie was leaning down in front of him, concerned. The only light shone from a single lantern that she held up to his face.

"Annie?"

"I thought you were right behind me," she said. "What happened?"

Jeff rubbed his temples. "The fortune teller..."

"You saw her?"

"I talked to her. Then I went to the pool..."

"You didn't go to the pool."

What the hell? Jeff tried to read Annie's eyes but quickly gave up. The cider – or sacred herbs or whatever – must have worn off. He was all up in his head again. Nothing but doubt and second guesses.

"Did _you_? What did you see?"

"Nothing," Annie shrugged and looked terribly disappointed. "It's just an elaborate haunted house, like you said. Nothing magical about it."

Jeff stared at the spot where the fortune teller faded into blackness. "I don't think that's true..."

"What happened, Jeff? What did she say to you? Did _you_ see something?"

"No."

The response was far too quick. Annie squinted. Jeff shifted uncomfortably. "Let's just get out of here," he mumbled. 

Annie held out a hand to help him up. But when he reached for her…

"Gah!"

Something burned his fingers. He opened his fist and a golden Claddagh ring crested with diamonds rested in his palm.

Their eyes flew immediately to Annie's left hand. It was bare.

"How did you get that?" she asked.

Jeff gawked. "I have no Earthly idea."

After another moment of stunned silence, he slipped the Claddagh gently onto her right ring finger – pointing in toward her heart. They admired its sparkle in the lantern light. And then met each other's gaze.

Shiver.

* * *

As the members of the study group trudged back to the forest's edge, the magic of the evening began to wear off. The leaves stopped gleaming. The Earth ceased humming. And by the time they all found each other again, their heads were throbbing a bit.

At least the floating fairy lights on the field outside still provided a heartening welcome.

"Did you make it all the way through?" Pierce asked, waking up from an extended cat nap as the others approached their fire pit. "I got kicked out. Apparently, you 'can't touch the actors.' Hollywood crap."

"We didn't have to," Britta smiled, right arm looped through Shirley's left.

"That's right," Shirley chirruped, patting Britta's hand like a proud mother. "Britta and I have a newfound respect for each other."

"Aww," Annie cooed before turning glum. "Well, you didn't miss much. The Glistening Pool of Eros was a bust. Just a bird bath with dirty water."

"It wasn't magic in the traditional sense," Abed considered. "But it wasn't a bust. It was more like modern mysticism. Revealing an inner wisdom, something you knew was there in your heart, but you just didn't realize."

Jeff hazarded a quick sideways glance at Annie and rubbed his still-burning finger.

Troy put an arm around Abed's shoulders. "I love you, buddy."

"What happened in there, some kind of orgy?" Pierce asked harshly. "Burt and Ernie are gay for each other, the Christian turned lesbian, and… whatever you two are." He gestured dismissively at Jeff and Annie. They shuffled apart to a more respectable distance.

"Tsk, Pierce," Shirley rebuked.

"Abed's characteristically right about this," Britta said. "We all have the same deepest desire really, don't we? Doesn't everyone? To be appreciated. To be respected. To be valued. To be loved."

Troy and Abed patted each other's backs.

Annie hazarded a quick sideways glance at Jeff. He was already watching her. Neither of them looked away.

"And we're luckier than most," Shirley concluded. "Because we all have _six_ people who love us. We're just too busy fighting and mocking each other all the time to see it."

"Friendship, love, loyalty, fidelity," Annie murmured under her breath, twisting the ring on her finger.

"It's easy to lose ourselves. It's harder to find what's actually important and… hold onto it. Maybe we just needed a reminder of that." Jeff said it to everyone, but he was still looking at Annie.

She broke into a warm smile and he was unequivocally, unabashedly bewitched.

Closing the distance between them again, she curled her right hand through his left – fingers entwined, and that Claddagh ring glowing like fire between them.

"Seems pretty magical to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! May all you lost souls find the answers you seek.


End file.
